Homeschoolers end up gravitating around one another. Its a self supporting network of families. Plus they get out with us and learn real world interactions as we run our errands, etc.
Its not like a homeschool kid never leaves the house.
And as a bonus, they dont have to deal with as much of the negative social skills that public school kids have to deal with. We can address the problems at our own pace, not when some jackwagon's neglected degenerate kid decides its time our kid learns what not to do.
So tonight's lesson for the older monkey (12) was home ec/handyman skills. He learned how to replace a frayed space heater cord for $8 instead of buying a new one for $30.
(wild tangent warning)
And he also learned a valuable lesson in self reliance. He prefers his apples quartered and cored. (He has some sensory issues, and is a little delayed) Normally me or Mrs Monkey do it for him. And before this week we have never really had a good excuse. We have been encouraging him to do it for himself because he has been shown how to and can, but prefers we do it for him. Not anymore. *wrings hands like an evil genius*
Earlier this week when the weather turned nice and he and his 9yo sister were playing outside, he asked for my old leatherman Juice to carve on a stick. I couldnt find it so I gave him one of the Barlow knives I gave my late father for Father's day about the time I was his age. He had a blast. (and subsequently earned a right of passage by taking a layer of skin off his finger
) Tonight he asked for an apple cut up for a snack, and I realized what happened this week. So I informed him that he had two choices (after this apple); He could take on the responsibility as a young man and cut his own apple, or he could relinquish that right and give back Grandpa's knife and I would continue to cut his apples for him. He wasn't thrilled but understood. We'll see what happens.
